The present disclosure adopts the following configuration as a solution to the problems described above. Specifically, one aspect of the present disclosure is a computer-readable medium recorded with a image processing program which causes a computer to function as: an updating unit to update, based on information obtained from a real space, at least any of a position and a posture, in a virtual space, of a virtual object arranged in the virtual space; an image generating unit to generate an image of a virtual space including the virtual object; a display control unit to cause a display device to display an image so that the image of the virtual space is superimposed on the real space so as to be viewed by a user; and an update interrupting unit to interrupt an update of at least any of a position and a posture, in the virtual space, of the virtual object when predetermined conditions are met.
In this case, the display device may be connected as a peripheral device to a computer that executes the program according to the present disclosure or may be connected to the computer via a communication network or the like. In addition, the computer that is mainly responsible for executing the program according to the present disclosure may be built on a virtual environment such as a so-called cloud.
According to the image processing program described above, since an update of the display reference information is interrupted when predetermined conditions are met, display reference information of a virtual object can be determined without being restricted by a position or a posture of a feature such as a marker. Therefore, a restriction imposed on the display of a virtual object by a feature in a real space in augmented reality techniques can be eased.
Moreover, application of the present disclosure is not limited to particular types of augmented reality techniques. For example, the present disclosure can be applied to an augmented reality technique which enables a user to view an image of a virtual space superimposed on a real space by displaying a composite image created by compositing a virtual space image on a captured image and to an augmented reality technique (head-up display: HUD or the like) which enables a user to view an image of a virtual space superimposed on a real space by projecting a virtual space image to a field of view of the user.
In addition, the image processing program may further comprise a feature detecting unit to detect a feature in a real space that enables at least any of a position and a posture in the real space to be identified, and the display reference information updating unit may update the display reference information stored by the display reference information storing unit based on the feature.
In this case, examples of a feature in a real space include a so-called AR marker or a code such as a two-dimensional barcode. Such a feature may be attached to a component such as a card. In addition, such a feature is not limited to a dedicated marker, a code, or the like. Even an article that is used for another purpose may be used as the feature as long as the article enables a display reference of a virtual object to be acquired.
In addition, the update interrupting unit may interrupt an update of the display reference information by the display reference information updating unit on the condition that a predetermined operation is performed by a user.
Accordingly, the user can specify a timing where the display reference information is fixed and a virtual object can be fixed with display reference information desired by the user. Moreover, in this case, a state where “a predetermined operation is performed” includes a state where the predetermined operation is currently being performed.
In addition, the image processing program may cause the computer to further function as a captured image acquiring unit to acquire a captured image that is captured by an imaging device, and the feature detecting unit may detect from the captured image a feature in a space captured in the captured image.
Furthermore, the display control unit may enable a user to view an image of the virtual space superimposed on a real space by causing the display device to display a composite image in which an image of the virtual space is superimposed on the captured image.
In addition, the image processing program may cause the computer to further function as a composite image preserving unit to preserve the composite image.
By enabling the composite image to be preserved in a state where display reference information is fixed, a composite image of a virtual object displayed according to display reference information desired by a user and a captured image can be preserved. In this case, the composite image that is preserved may be a still image or a moving image.
Furthermore, the composite image preserving unit may preserve the composite image in response to a user operation performed in order to issue an instruction for preserving an image.
By preserving a composite image in response to a user operation in a state where display reference information is fixed, a composite image of a virtual object displayed according to display reference information desired by a user and a captured image in an captured state desired by the user can be preserved.
In addition, the display reference information storing unit may store at least any of a position and a posture in the virtual object in the virtual space as the display reference information; the display reference information updating unit may update the display reference information based on the feature that enables any of a position and a posture in the real space to be identified; and the image generating unit may generate an image of a virtual space including the virtual object having at least any of a position and a posture determined based on the display reference information.
For example, display reference information is a reference indicating at least any of a position and a posture in a space whose image is captured. The display reference information may be, for example, a coordinate system having an origin and three axes thereof determined in accordance with a position and a posture of a marker, or position and posture information of a marker relative to an imaging device.
Moreover, the present disclosure can be considered as being an disclosure described as follows. Specifically, the present disclosure is an image processing program which causes a computer to function as: an updating unit to update, based on information obtained from a real space, at least any of a position and a posture, in a virtual space, of a virtual object arranged in the virtual space; an image generating unit to generate an image of a virtual space including the virtual object; a display control unit to cause a display device to display an image so that the image of the virtual space is superimposed on the real space so as to be viewed by a user; and an update interrupting unit to interrupt an update of at least any of a position and a posture, in the virtual space, of the virtual object when predetermined conditions are met.
In addition, the present disclosure can also be considered as being an information processing device, an information processing system having one or more information processing devices, a method that is executed by a computer, or a program to be executed on a computer. Furthermore, the present disclosure may be embodied by a recording medium which is readable by a device such as a computer, a machine, or the like and on which such a program is recorded. In this case, a recording medium that is readable by a computer or the like refers to a recording medium which accumulates information such as data and programs by an electric action, a magnetic action, an optical action, a mechanical action, or a chemical action and which can be read by a computer or the like.